Tire



Jan. 18, J J. HRUSKA V TIRE Filed July 3, 1935 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. J. HRUSKA Jan. 18, 193

TIRE

Fil ed July 3, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IfikAAAANAAAAANANAAAAAAA HHI IIII Patented Jan. 18, 1938 orrso STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to automobile and other vehicle tires, and has for its object the production of a simple and efficient multiple tube tire which is provided with means for reducing the friction between the inner tubes and the center heel piece of the tire, as well as the central dividing strip of the multiple tube tire.

The present invention is an improvement upon my previous Patent #l,946,622, issued February 13, 1934, relating to tires.

A further object of the present invention is the production of a simple and efiicient heel piece, which heel piece is provided with bearing means for contacting and engaging the heel piece in such a manner as to permit the heel piece to shift and reduce the friction between the heel cleats and the center heel piece to a, minimum.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear throughout the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:-

Figure l is a transverse sectional perspective view through a section of the multiple tube tire;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the rim and tire;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional View taken on line 66 of Figure 5;

Figure '7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through a portion of one of the heel pieces and showing the manner in which the bearing contacts with the inner tube and its protecting strips and the central dividing strip of the tire;

Figure 8 is a drawn-apart perspective View illustrating a pair of the center heel cleats.

By referring to the drawings, it will be seen that l5 designates the rim which is provided with transversely extending slots l6 arranged near the center thereof, which slots I B communicate with the enlarged apertures H, as shown in Figure 2. The rim i 5 is provided with the usual tire engaging flanges I8 along the periphery thereof for holding the outer edges of the tire firmly in engagement with the rim. The present invention relates more particularly to a multiple tube tire and rim structure, the tire being indicated generally by the numeral l9, the casing being preferably provided with a pair of substantially parallel tube receiving channels 20. The channels 20 are separated by the centrally located partition 2|, which partition 2| is provided at its lower end with a central heel piece 22. The heel piece 22 preferably terminates short of the inner face of the rim l5, as will be noted by considering Figure 1, and this heel piece 22 is preferably engaged upon either side thereof by means of the heel cleats 23 which are shaped to fit the heel piece 22 and firmly clamp the heel piece against displacement from between the cleats 23. The cleats 23 are held in locked spaced relation through the medium of the spacing bolt 24, which spacing bolt 24 is oppositely threaded at its ends for fitting into the sockets 25 of the heel cleats 23-note in detail Figure 7. Lock nuts 26 are mounted upon the spacing bolts 24 for locking the cleats in proper spaced relation for efficient engagement with the central heel piece 22. The cleats 23 are also provided with depending threaded pins 21 which extend through the slots l6, these pins 21 carrying locking nuts 28 whereby the cleats 23 may be anchored into engagement with the rim l5.

Each heel cleat 23 is provided with a concave outer face 29, the upper edge 30 of each cleat being notched, as at 3|, which notches 3| communicate with channels 3la formed upon the inner faces of the cleats 23, as shown in Figure 8, to permit of a proper circulation of air around the heel cleats under the action of the tire and tubes. The lower outer edge 32 is also tapered, as indicated in Figure 8, to facilitate the convenient fitting of the tubes over the cleats and to avoid any abrupt edges.

Each cleat 23 is provided with a notch 3311 along its inner face and within each notch is fitted a bearing supporting plate 33, which bearing supporting plate 33 supports the roller bearings 34, the roller bearings also extending beyond the outer concave face of the cleat. These roller bearings 34, are mounted within the sockets 35 which extend through the cleats 23, as shown in detail in Figure 7.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the present invention to the use of roller bearings in view of the fact that ball bearings or other rotating means may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In carrying out the invention, I preferably employ a plurality of protector strips 36 which may be used in any number desired and may be extended around the inner tubes 31 for a suitable distance to protect the tubes. When the tubes and protector strips are mounted within the tire casing l9, or placed within the channels 20 and inflated, one of the protector strips 36 will contact with the bearing rollers 34 and constitute a non-friction contact between the protector strips, inner tubes and heel cleats, the bearings also contacting with the partition 2| adjacent the heel piece 22, and thereby permitting the heel piece to move or reciprocate between the cleats 23 without setting up a great amount of friction between the concave faces 29 of the cleats 23 and the protector strips 36. The bearing rollers 34 will compensate for this movement and by contacting and supporting the innertubes through the medium ofthe protector strips the amount of friction between the inner tubes and n 3 the heel cleats Will be reduced to a minimum.

Having described the invention, what I claim...

as new is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a rim, a tire casing mounted thereon, said tire casing being provided with a plurality of Iongitudinally extending channels, an individual inflatable tube mountedrwithin each channel, a dividing partition separating said channels and providedwith a heel piece at its bottom, heel cleats anchored upon said rim and engaging the opposite faces of said heel piece, and bearings carried by the heel cleats for contacting With the heel piece and supporting the heel piece in a manner to reduce friction to a minimum between the heel cleats and the heel piece.

2. A device of the class described comprising a rim, a tire casing mounted thereon, said tire casing being provided with a plurality of Iongitudinally extending, channels, an individual inflatable tube mounted within each channel, a dividing partition separating said channels and provided with a heel piece at its bottom, heel cleats anchored upon said rim and engaging the opposite faces of said heel piece, bearings carried by the heel cleats for contacting with said heel piece and supporting the heel piece in a manner to reduce friction to a minimum between the heel cleats and the heel piece, and said heel cleats provided with concave faces approximately conforming to the contour of the inflatable tubes and terminating in tapering upper and lower edges, the inner faces having ventilating channels formed therein. 7 I

3. A device of the class described comprising a rim, a tire casing mounted thereon, said tire casing being provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending channels, an individual inflatable tube mounted within each channel, a

dividing partition separating said channels and provided with a heel piece at its bottom, heel cleats anchored upon said rim and engaging the opposite faces of said heel piece, roller bearings carried by the heel cleats for contacting with said heel piece and supporting the heel piece in a manner to reduce friction to a minimum between the heel cleats and the heel piece, and plates carried by the heel cleats for holding the roller bearings against displacement, said roller bearings projecting beyond the heel cleats upon the inner face to provide roller bearing contact with said heel piece.

4. A device of the class described comprising .a rim, a tire casing mounted thereon, said tire casing being provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending channels, an individual inflatable tube mounted within each channel, a dividing partition separating said channels and provided With a heel piece at its bottom, heel cleats anchored upon said rim and engaging the opposite faces of said heel piece, roller bearings carried by the heel cleats for contacting with said heel piece and'supporting the heel piece in a manner to reduce friction to a minimum between the heel cleats and the heel piece, plates carried by the heel cleats for holding the roller bearings against displacement, said roller bearings projecting beyond the heel cleats upon the inner face to provide roller bearing contact with said heel piece, and protector strips interposed between the inflatable tubes and the heel cleats.

5. A device of the class described comprising a rim, a tire casing mounted thereon, said tire casing being provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending channels, an individual infiatable tube mounted within each channel, a dividing partition separating said channels and provided with a heel piece at its bottom, heel cleats anchored upon said rim and engaging the opposite faces of said heel piece, roller bearings carried by the heel cleats for contacting with said heel piece and supporting the heel piece in a manner to reduce friction to a minimum between the heel cleats and the heel piece, plates carried by the heel cleats for holding the roller bearings against displacement, and said roller bearings projecting beyond the heel cleats upon the inner face to provide roller bearing contact with said heel piece.

JOSEPH J. HRUSKA. 

